Heat conservation means for domestic hot-water systems



Sept. 13, 1949.

F. G. CAMPBELL 2,481,720 HEAT CONSERVATION MEANS FOR DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEMS Filed May 5, 1945 H F/G.

21:5 7 I J C 1 ,3 /9- fi 9 [I HLZJ 7 K J 2'1 8 6 I l I I v 7 24 A 1-5 1 I J W Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEAT CONSERVATION MEANS FOR- DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SYSTEMS 3 Claims. 1

The object of the invention is to provide such connections between the domestic heating pipes of a house heating system and the hot water service supply pipes of the building as to radically reduce the cost of supplying hot water to the kitchen sinks, basins, etc., of the building.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one layout of piping which may be employed, Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating one of the water heating chambers hereinafter described, and Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a radiator wherein one section is used as a compartment through which water flows on its way from the domestic hot water heater to a hot water faucet of a basin, sink, or the like. In the diagrammatic view Fig. 1 the basement floor of a building is indicated at 5, first floor at 6, and the second floor at A kitchen sink 8 is indicated upon the first floor. A conventional wash basin 9 is indicated upon the second floor. The incoming cold water supply line I supplies cold water through the branches H and I2 to the cold water faucets l3 and M of the sink and basin, respectively. A branch l5 from the line In constitutes the cold water supply line to a conventional automatic, domestic, hot water heater Hi. This may be either electric or gas. These conventional automatic domestic hot water heaters are now commonly employed. The are usually located in the basement, or other low point in the domestic water supply and they comprise automatic means for turning on the heating medium, either gas or electricity, whenever by the opening of a hot water faucet hot water is withdrawn from the heater. A cold water supply line leads to the heater and the domestic hot water service supply line leads from the heater to the hot water faucets of the various fixtures to be serviced, such as sinks, basins, etc., usually upon the upper floors of the building. The domestic hot water service line leading from the heater 5 is indicated at H and the hot water faucets for the sink and basin respectively are indicated at |8 and I9. Located in the domestic hot water service line between the heater l6 and the hot water faucet I8 of sink 8 is a chamber 20, and located between heater l6 and the hot water faucet IQ of the basin 9 is a chamber 2|. The hot water service line I! enters the chamber 20 at the bottom of said chamber and leaves from the point near the top of said chamber as indicated by the branch Ila. A branch hot water service line llb enters the chamber 2| near the bottom and leaves near the top as indicated by the branch llc. Thus whenever a hot water faucet is opened either at sink 8 or basin 9, a flow of water is set up through the heater l6 and through either chambers 20 or 2| as the case may be. As stated the domestic hot water heater I6 may be either gas or electric. In an electric domestic'water heater of this type the electricity is turned on automatically whenever the water temperature in the heater drops below a set point. In many domestic gas water heaters of this type the gas is automatically turned on whenever the temperature of the water in the heater falls below a set point. In the flash type of domestic gas water heater the gas is turned on by the reduction of water pressure occasioned by the opening of a hot water faucet. In every case'the withdrawal of hot water from the heater l6 through hot water service line I! calls for the expenditure of heat, either gas or electric, to replace the hot water so withdrawn. Located in the rooms occupied by the sink and basin 9 respectively are the room or space heating elements such as radiators 22 and 23. The heating medium, which may be either steam or hot water is supplied to these radiators through the house heat ing fluid supply pipe 24, said supply pipe leading from a conventional house heating boiler 25 in the basement. This house heating fluid supply pipe passes through the chambers 20 and 2|, said chambers being located upon the floors occupied by the sink and basin respectively.

While I have shown a building having only two zfloors above the basement it is to be understood that the described arrangement may be carried out in buildings of any number of floors. As this description proceeds it will be seen that the utility of the invention increases with the height of the building or the number of its floors. The purpose of providing the chambers 20 and 2| is to provide a reservoir of hot water in relatively close proximity to the hot water faucets upon each floor. This is accomplished by carrying the house heating pipe 24 of the radiators through the chambers 20 and 2|, as described. The contact of the body of water lying in the chambers 20 and 2| with the pipe 24 passing there- .through results in heating the domestic hot water \phangers 20 and 2| of this invention a person,

say at basin 9, desiring merely enough hot water to Wash his hands turns on the hot water faucet and lets the water mm long enough for water from the domestic hot water heater 16 to travel all the way from the basement to the basin 9. By providing the chamber 2| containing a body of water the temperature of which is boosted by pipe 24, such person would be able, in most cases, to get enough hot water to wash his hands from the adjacent chamber 2 I. He would not have to wait for hot water to travel all the way from heater I6 to faucet [9. Thus the described arrangement results in saving, not only what ever water is wasted every time the pipe is emptied back to the heater, but also in saving the heat at heater It required to bring the fresh supply of incoming cold water up to the temperature Itshould l9'is closed an'dthe pipe full of hotwater between faucet I9 and heaterlli gradually cools down and possibly becomes altogether cold before some one again opens faucet l9.

The monetary loss occasioned by the necessity of permitting a considerable amount of water to escape down the drain pipe every time a hot water faucet is opened is a considerable loss at even a single household. When multipliedby the millions of homes throughout the nation it will be seen that the loss nationally is a very great one indeed. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement shown. Fig. 1 is intended'to be merely a diagrammatic layout wherein the spaces A and B may be the partition walls of a building. However, the chambers 29 and 2'! may be located beneath the floors or in any other suitable place where the steam and water pipes of a building are ordinarily placed. 'However, one'advantage of arranging the chamberZl vertically as shown, and of having the hot water line enter at the bottom and leave at the top, is that these chambers will drain completely, along with the remainder of the piping, when the system has to be drained in winter to prevent freezing.

It is to be observed that the advantage of the invention may be had at a very small cost. It

amounts'to no more than making an enlargement in the domestic hot water service pipes adjacent each hot water faucet and having such enlargement embrace a part of the house heating pipe 24. The latter has to be put'in'place any way, and the hot water service lines have to be put in place any way. Therefore, the increased cost would reside merely in the chambers 2i and these would be preferably placed on the market for sale in plumbers supply houses and comprise chamber 25 havinga short section of' the pipe 24 welded in place therein as at x, said short sec:- tions being provided with unions 3%? by Wi1iCh chamber 2| could be easily and quickly connected into th line 2- It is to be-observedthat the supply to the hot water faucets upon the several floors is through a pipe that is wholly independent of the supply to the associated cold water faucets .sothat tempered water may be had eat, any basin lby=siinu1taheously discharging sections 35 and 35.

4 hot and cold water from said associated hot and cold water faucets.

In Fig. 3 I have indicated that a heating radiator may be employed to heat a limited body of water adjacent a hot water faucet. Here the radiator has its first section 35 connected to its A water third section 36 by elongated nipples 31. storing and heating chamber 2.0a corresponding in general shape and size with the remaining radiator sections lies between and is heated by The hot water pipe supply line for a hot water faucet (corresponding to 7 service line ll) enters chamber 20a at We and leaves at llf, it being understood that chamber Eta then performs the function performed by chamberszfi and 2|, namely it provides, adjacent a hot water faucet, a limited supply of hot water which reaches a wash basin or sink far ahead of water flowing from the water heater in the basement, when said faucet is opened. While this limited supply of water is heated bythe'ra-diator' it is separate and distinct from the body of Water or steam which serves to heat the radiator.

It is Within the scope of the invention to asso ciate with each of the reservoirs 2t and 21 inde pendent heating means, such as an electric heating coil 269:, Edy. This renders it possible to heat each reservoir independently, and inde pendent of pipe 25. Thus the advantages of the in summer when the boiler ment, a space heatin radiator located upon each of the said floors of the building, a heatingfiuid supply line leading from the boiler to all of said radiators, an automatic hot Water heater located in the basement of a type wherein the cold water supply line of the building delivers an additional supply of water into the heater whenever by the opening of a hot water faucet, hot water is with-' drawn from said heater and wherein the heater is'set in'operation to heat additional water-upon the withdrawal of a predetermined amount of hot wate'r therefrom, a domestic hot water serv ice line leading from the hot water 'heater "to a plurality of hot water faucets, one of said faucets being located upon each of the floors, an auxiliary hot water storage chamberincluded in and forming part of the hot water service line adja: cent each of the hot water faucets, said chame bers having heat interchange relation'with the heating fluid supply line of the radiaton a cold water faucet associated with each hot water faucet and a cold water supply line. ieadingto all ofthe cold Water faucets, whereby when any hot Water faucet is opened hot water is delivered thereto from its associated auxiliary hot water' storage chamber and without interference with a simultaneous dischargeof cold Water from the associated cold water faucet.

2. In a combined house heating anddomes'tic hotwater supply system for a building having a basement and a' plurality of floors above said basement, of a house heating boiler in the'basee ment, a space heating radiator located upon each of the saidfloors of-the building, a heating fluid supply line leading from'theboiler to all of said radiators, an automatic hot water "heater'located' in the basement of a type wherein the cold water supply line of the building delivers an additional supply of water into the heater whenever by the opening of a hot water faucet hot water is withing heat interchange relation with the heating 1 fluid supply line of the radiators.

3. A structure as recited in claim 2 in combination with a heating means associated with each of the auxiliary hot water storage chambers, said heating means being independent of and in addition to the heating fluid supply line of the radiator.

FRANK G. CAMPBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 405,504 Richardson June 18, 1889 2,175,329 Watt Oct. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,280 Great Britain 1907 29,759 Great Britain 1896 

